


Coming Home Again

by doodily



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Angst, Background Relationships, Death, M/M, Manga Spoilers, Memories, Suffering, Tears
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-12
Updated: 2016-01-12
Packaged: 2018-05-13 08:11:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5701246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/doodily/pseuds/doodily
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ereri Reincarnation Fic. Prepare for feels.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Coming Home Again

**Author's Note:**

> I've been bitten by the reincarnation!fic bug. So here it is. I cried while writing this.
> 
> I have a [tumblr](http://doodlesbyday.tumblr.com). Come visit me.

“No! No nononononononooooooo!”

Levi flung himself from the tree at the titan as he screamed. A furry head turned towards him, a bloody grin on its face, bits of flesh escaping through small gaps between its teeth. He could have sworn the thing laughed at him before he sliced into it so viciously it was nearly decapitated with one swipe. 

As if in a last final fuck you, the Beast Titan's arm swung up and back down on top of Levi's wires. Unable to retract his hooks or control his descent, he slammed into the forest floor with the combined momentum of his flight and the titan driving him straight down. Fortunately he didn't feel any pain, his body instantly going into shock and shutting down his pain receptors.

It was true what they said. In the moments before you die you relive your life. As his physical vision faded in and out, his mind went wild. He would have scoffed at himself if he had the ability. Of course he would start at the beginning.

The Underground. Flashes of a nearly forgotten mother and an abusive, manipulative uncle. Stealing and hurting people to survive. Finding a kindred spirit in Farlan and taking Isabel under his wing. Learning to fly with the stolen 3DMG and then being captured and caged by Erwin.

The usual pain associated with recalling Isabel and Farlan's deaths was curiously absent, but he couldn't bring himself to ask why. His commitment to Erwin, now out of respect and revenge on the titans. Rising through the ranks over the years. Making friends he would respect as people even if they bugged the absolute shit out of him. Hanji, Mike, Erd, Oluo, Gunther, Petra.

The first time he met Eren, he of the startlingly green eyes and shifting ability. Beating the shit out of him in the courtroom to save his life and not-quite apologizing for it later. Kicking his and his friends asses into shape, honing them into weapons in human form. The death of his elite squad and friends that he dared not mourn. The devastating pain when he found out that four of them were shifters and betrayed his rarely given trust. 

When he did snap and break down, all thanks to that little shit, Eren. When they came together that night for the first time, Eren allowing Levi to take out all of his frustrations on him since he would heal and not be broken. The morning after when Levi wanted to throw himself off the walls for his actions, the soft kiss Eren had given him before telling him everything would be okay and bouncing out the door to take care of his duties.

The moment when Levi realized he had been paying much more attention to Eren than was required by the agreement to keep him under Survey Corps custody. That he was constantly seeking the boy out. That their dance around each other was the worst kept secret in the corps. When Eren finally confessed and the day after when they were both too pleasantly sore to crawl out of bed. The party Hanji threw when they found out, complete with a cake and candles. 

When Erwin stepped down as commander and Hanji took his place, Levi officially elevated to second-in-rank, right alongside Mike. The 104th who had survived that long getting their own squads. Eren remaining under Levi's 'supervision'. Hanji ordering a house be built for them with the excuse of Eren's one accidental transformation with the spoon, a twinkle in their eye as they read the requisition to Historia, the new and beloved queen.

The first night spent in their house, christening most of the rooms. Finishing with the rest the next day. Waking up to emerald eyes and messy chestnut hair every morning. Picking up after the brat, bitching the whole time, Eren just smiling as he purposely moved something else out-of-place and the sensual punishment that they both adored.

Eren wearing himself out with practice changing and controlling his titan form. When Levi joined in and they learned to work seamlessly together, devastating hordes of titans with teeth and nails and swords. When they came home after a mission, bruised and filthy and exhausted. Soaking in the tub together until muscles no longer screamed at them, then joining in celebration that they both lived another day.

Eren filling out and becoming more handsome as he aged, his eyes never losing that sparkle that made him Eren, never once looking anywhere except forward. Levi's pure joy that he was the only one who would ever see those eyes in the throes of ecstasy. The only one who they would look at with enough love that they would move mountains for each other.

The new recruits every year, numbers increasing due to the presence of 'Humanity's Hope' in the ranks. The ruthless training regimen that brought out the best in all of them. The sad fact that most didn't survive their first year. But Levi always had a safe place to shed the mantle of authority, to be Levi-the-person instead of Levi-the-soldier. The moment he stepped through the door of their house and into Eren's arms the weight of the world lifted and he could just be. His home was in these arms.

EREN!

Struggling to focus, Levi broke out of his memories. A foggy smoke surrounded them but he couldn't tell if the haze was from the two titan bodies disintegrating or that he no longer had the ability to focus. A familiar shape fuzzed in and out. It took him a moment to recognize it as the Wings. Following the lines upwards he reached a face that he wanted to hold one more time.

Ignoring the fact that he was probably leaving bits of his body behind, Levi dragged himself inch by agonizing inch towards green eyes that blinked slowly, towards soft lips that worked open and closed silently. He made it a few feet before his body gave out, unable to move another fraction. It was close enough that his outstretched fingers made contact with Eren's, just enough to link them together at the first knuckle.

Levi didn't look away from the fading green eyes, wanting his last sight to be of his favorite color, not the smoke pouring out from the bottom of the short jacket. Eren's soft smile was bloody and Levi could barely make out the words he mouthed. Levi mouthed his own, unable to make a sound. Smile still in place, Eren coughed, blood spurting out of his mouth. His eyes closed and the smoke dwindled to nothing. Levi was aware of a tiny tickling sensation on his face and he realized he was crying. As his eyes drifted shut, there was a flash of black and red. The last thing he heard was a 3DMG whizzing to a halt and a female voice screaming uncontrollably.

-x-x-x-

Levi walked with Erwin and Hanji out of the office building, lip curling at the chill in the air. They made their way to a coffee shop down the street, taking a short break before a massively important conference call that afternoon. He sighed deeply, not even looking at the faces around him like he usually did.

Hanji noticed because of course they would. “Don't give up, Levi. He's around somewhere.”

As much as he wanted to believe their words, he wasn't sure about that. So far he had met several people from before. Not all of them were aware of their past lives, like his squad. Petra and Oluo were happily married in the suburbs and had no idea. Erd and Gunther worked with the three of them, sometimes wondering why they always got deja vu around the trio. Isabel and Farlan were convinced that the memories were just them remembering a traumatizing horror movie from when they were younger, replacing themselves as the characters.

So far only Erwin, Hanji, and Levi remembered everything. None of them had found Mike or any of the 104th. It was an ingrained habit to look at every face possible to see if they could recognize anyone. Levi was tired of looking. Maybe Eren hadn't come back. Maybe he was on the other side of the planet. Maybe he had come back and was hit by a fucking car and died again, who knew?

Hanji stopped in their tracks and if Levi hadn't had his reflexes, he would have slammed face-first into their back. “What the fuck, four-eyes?”

“Is... is that Armin?”

If Armin is there, that meant... Levi shoved them aside and scanned the crowd, not seeing the little blond anywhere. “Hanji I swear to Christ if you're fucking with me right now-”

“No! Look!”

Following her pointed finger he looked through the window of a coffee chop a little further down than the one they were planning on visiting. Sure enough, there was Armin, that stupid haircut unmistakable. Without a word to the other two Levi took off, weaving through the crowded sidewalk, not bothering to catch his breath until he burst into the shop, heedless of the patrons staring at him in shock. He had eyes only for Armin.

Said blond blinked up at him, jaw dropped. “Le- Levi?”

“You remember me?” A nod. “You remember everything?” Another nod. “Where is he?”

Armin wrote down the address to an apartment, stopping Levi before he left. “I know you want to find him, but.. who else?”

“Erwin and Hanji are right outside. They can fill you in. I've waited too long for this. Thanks, kid.”

“He's supposed to leave for class in about half an hour, so you should make it.” Levi darted around Erwin and Hanji, waving the piece of paper in his hand when they both grinned at him. 

He hailed a cab, nearly knocking someone else out of the way to get in, then locking the door so he was sure to ride by himself. He rattled the address off to the driver and wished that he could have hijacked a police car or an ambulance or something with a fucking siren so he didn't have to deal with the traffic.

Over twenty minutes later they rounded the corner onto the street written on the paper. The driver stopped and Levi threw a handful of bills at the man, knowing it was way too much but uncaring that he had probably just tipped over a hundred dollars.

A head of messy brown hair with a green hoodie and a backpack walked down the sidewalk about half a block away. Levi would recognize him anywhere and started chasing him down.

“Eren! EREN!” Levi noticed the headphones then and slowed to take a deep breath. Cupping his hands around his mouth he shouted at the top of his lungs. “Oi, you shitty brat!”

The brunet's body froze and Levi slowed to a walk. Slowly, the younger man turned, his face blank in shock. The same stunning eyes he fell in love with the first time stared at him. Blinking stupidly, Eren removed his headphones and took a single step forward.

“Levi? Is that you? Is it really you?”

“Do you remember me, love?”

Eren's face twisted and he burst into a sprint. Levi had just enough time to brace himself before the brunet launched upwards and landed on him. Strong legs wrapped around his waist, firm arms circled his neck, and soft lips connected with his. 

Levi kissed Eren back ferociously, not caring that they were on the sidewalk in the middle of the day and he had a hugely crucial appointment in a little while. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered except for the crying brunet in his arms. Levi's eyes burned and he realized he was crying, too.

Eren whimpered in his arms, saying his name over and over again. Levi pulled back just enough so they could breathe, resting their foreheads together. All these years, something had been missing. His heart, his soul, his everything had been given to Eren so many years ago and to have him back...

He was finally home again.


End file.
